onezumi.com : Stupid and Insane Defenders Against Chaos

Before I can do a tutorial on monitor calibration, I have to talk about LCD monitors and why, if you are an artist, you should not be using a cheap one. I think LCDs probably became popular with artists when Apple started marketing their Cinema Displays. Quite a few artists use Macs for their work, so they ended up evolving into LCD displays without researching them. Sure, they look cool, but as of now most just aren't up to par with traditional CRT monitors. Apple Cinemas did seem to fare better that your basic LCD, but they were unable to display a full color spectrum, and they suffer from color consistency problems.

Sure, I use an inexpensive LCD monitor when I draw for people at conventions, but I hate it. Have you ever tried to color something on cheap LCD monitor? I do this only because I don't have a choice in the matter when I am traveling. It is unrealistic for me to take along very expensive LCD monitors to a con and expect them to last. I work as best I can and then I go home and redo most of it on my professional level setup.

I can normally match any color exactly, just by looking at it. The first picture below is a swatch of Harknell's skin color. This is what it looked like on the LCD at the convention. The second picture shows you what the color really was. That yellow is the color that would appear on most people's monitors and how it would print out. You can imagine my surprise when I got home and Harknell was yellow. cheap LCDs cannot display colors well and even I was unable to tell what color I was using.

Let's look a bit at the technology we have here so that you understand where I'm coming from. Tech Report says:

"Properly calibrated LCDs should be able to produce enough shades of red, green, and blue to satisfy most users. However, graphic designers who really need a broad spectrum of colors are likely to be frustrated by the limitations of some LCD displays. Since an LCD's backlight is always on (at least when the monitor itself is turned on), the display's liquid crystals must completely block light from the backlight in order to produce a true black. Unfortunately, few LCD monitors are up for the task, and many struggle to produce darker shades of other colors, as well. "

You can get any LCD monitor if you want to, but know that you are not probably seeing the full color spectrum. You may as well not even bother to calibrate it because at best, it will still be just as good as an un-calibrated CRT. If you are going to use the image seriously, you have to check it on a good LCD or CRT monitor before you finish.

So, what monitor should I get you ask. Unfortunately that can change quickly since things and brands change over time. Usually Samsung makes decent monitors, but not always, and Lacie is normally considered the top of the line. The good thing is prices have come way down on LCD monitors, so a good one may only be a few hundred dollars now. The best thing to do is read up and check reviews for any monitor you may want.

If you'd like even more data, read this study of 7 different LCDs.

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Step Away from the LCD Monitor. Now.